


Hurt and Trapped

by Nmtltlz



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Quarantine (Gravity Falls), Alternate Universe - Transcendence (Gravity Falls), Angst, Beta Read by the cutest pair of cinnamon roles EVAR, First time writing, Fords an oblivious jerk, Heavy Quarantine, I put henry in though I dunno how long thats gonna take, I swear Ima try to get far or finish this, I think we all just confidently fricking guess, Mabels gonna deck him hopefully, No idea where this is going, Other, Poor Dipper, See its angsty but not too angsty, Thats a common tag wow, This AU needs more attention it made me very sad, maybe theres an outline maybe there isnt, speaking of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:20:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23729677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nmtltlz/pseuds/Nmtltlz
Summary: A Heavy Quarantine fic; a sub AU of the Transcendence AUDipper's most likely dead, and it's incredibly disrespectful of this demon to use his nephews identity as a coverup.Not gonna lie, probably gonna change the title at some point.
Relationships: Mabel Pines/Henry Pines
Comments: 39
Kudos: 65





	1. Shooting Star Burns Out

**Author's Note:**

> This Au has me hooked and sad! Check out the Tumblr! Mostly cuz this is pathetically short.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabes and Stan look for Dip

“Dipper!”

Mabel's voice was starting to die out, she couldn't remember a time in her life it had sounded so broken and rough.

So  _ desperate. _

How long had she even been on her Grunkle's shoulders, screaming for her brother? It was getting dark, the bright sun getting tired and peaking through the healed greens of the forest. Everything around her looked okay despite the events that occured hours before, the forest was back to being the beautiful mixes of greens and browns it was known for, the town's damage had been rectified, Bill was gone… 

_ Dipper was gone. _

The thought alone made Mabel’s voice cut out completely and had her burst into tears, burying her head into her uncle's hair.

“..Pumpkin..?” He rubbed her legs from where they sat on his shoulders, trying to offer comfort to the scared girl. The man sounded so  _ solemn _ . It felt unnatural coming from someone who had always sounded so loud and confident before. 

He only received quiet sobs from the young girl, violent hiccups as she hugged his neck tighter.

It had been heartbreaking to see such a bright star burn out and to be helpless to help her.


	2. A Certain Pinetree is Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ford finds something in the forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly longer than before aha

Ford had split up with Stan and Mabel when they first started searching.

They had figured it’d be easier to cover more area if they went looking for him in separate parties, and Mabel was far too young and..stressed to go alone. Stan had been told to take her to the Shack once it got dark, as it’d be best for her to not be burdened with the search for the rest of the night. Ford didn't doubt Mabel would be heavily adverse to sleeping with Dipper still missing.

Ford could only sigh at the thought, hopefully Stan could handle the girls tears and protests.

The crunch of the leaves and twigs acted like a broken record, going on a continuous loop as the old man walked in the forest. It had been getting dark and Ford didn't have any light source to continue searching, as much as he wanted to. He’d just go back to the Shack, get a flashflight, and continue searching for the boy with Stan. They couldn't give up looking for him.

_ He _ wouldn't give up looking for him.

Not when Dipper was the first person Stanford felt he could trust in thirty years.

The paranoid boy tried incredibly hard to befriend the old scientist, harder than Ford should have allowed, looking back on it. He’d been incredibly persistent, and Ford allowed him to get entangled with this mess.  _ His  _ mess. And now, it was very possible the boy was paying the price of that leniency. 

The smell of pine was growing considerably thicker.

What if Ford had kicked the boy out of the basement that day he came crashing in? Would he be safe? No, surely not, he had still found the journal and met Bill, right? Either way he’d still be tied up in the literal  _ apocalypse  _ just like the rest of the town was.  _ Maybe _ if Stanley had bothered to  _ listen  _ to Ford for once-

A small, indistinct noise broke Ford from his thoughts.

Was that a  _ whimper? _

The noise made itself clear again.

Ford's heart jumped to his throat with hope.

He looked to the source of the noise and saw a small figure curled in on itself, shaking and smelling of a horrid mix of burnt flesh and pine needles. Little black wings poked from the creatures back that faced him, hugging his torso as though it was a poor defense mechanism. Curly, cinnamon colored hair, tainted with dirt and grim covered its head. Blood and bruises covering pale skin, rips and tears littering an oh-so familiar navy blue vest and grey shorts.

It just kept muttering and hugging itself, its voice so torn it sounded like it had been crying and was trying to stop, shuddering throughout the whole thing.

Even as Ford stood there, frozen and scared, it just kept shaking and  _ shaking. _

“D-Dipper…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> notes are welcome uwu


	3. An Uncertain Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ford comes to an uncertain conclusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly longer than before aha

It couldn't be.

  


It honest to God  _ shouldn't  _ be.

  


Ford snapped out of his frozen stupor and stumbled his way to Dipper’s(?) body, ignoring the increasingly horrid smell surrounding the boy. The old man slowly crouched down to the small figure, hesitantly reaching an arm out, only to hastily recoil it moments later as the thing shifted its head slightly downward with a whine. Ford didn't think it could have curled in on itself more than it already had, didn't think it could have looked smaller, more scared. 

  


Wearily, Ford reached out again to pet the creatures dirty, greasy hair, ignoring the immediate flinch he got in response.

  


Could this really be Dipper? Really be his Mason? The boy who would look up to him in awe and never ending curiosity? It looked so similar, save for the wings that hugged it and the pointed ears it donned. It looked just his boy in pain, pain he shouldn't be suffering through… 

  


A pointed ear twitched.

  


But what if it wasn't Dipper? What if it was just a vile demon, using his nephews image as a disguise for its own benefit? What if the wings and ears were signs of something otherworldly? Things the demon couldn't change, much like Bill’s cat-like eyes? What if the demon was counting on,  _ preying _ on Ford taking it in as though it was his boy? His  _ family _ ? 

  


… What if it was waiting… to hurt his… family… 

  


Ford didn't know how long he sat there, offering comfort to the small, scared creature that was leaning into his touch, purring, much like a little kitten would, but night was slowly poking its head through the trees, concerning Ford immensely. He could start to hear the crickets begin to chirp, the wind picking up ever so slightly, the continuous horrid smell of death searing his nose….

  


_ The forest coming alive. _

  


Sighing quietly, the old scientist removed his hand in favor of gently lifting the body into his arms, causing it to stir slightly.

  


“Mmnh… c-cold…” it mumbled, eyebrows scrunched, digging its  _ claws _ and face into Ford’s coat, vaguely shaking. 

  


Despite his better judgement, Ford started to pet its head again as he walked, taking stride in what little sunlight he had left.

  


“... Ford…?” 

  


The shaking had dulled, and Ford had two half lidded, tired eyes staring back at him, and froze.

  


Two half lidded eyes.

  


Two half lidded eyes with sclera more reminiscent of a  _ void _ than a color.

  


Two half lidded eyes with iris’ bright and shiny as gold.

  


“Ford…?” Its quiet,  _ manipulative  _ voice broke out once more.

  


_ It’s not him. _

  


“Go back to sleep. We’ll be at the Shack soon enough” 

  


Ignoring the stiffness in his voice, the demon closed its eyes once more, succumbing to the endless tug that pulled him to the Land of Nod.

  


Ford, calming himself, took a quick breath, squeezing the bundle in his arms slightly. How would he deal with this? He couldn't take this-this  _ demon  _ to the Shack, not when Stan and Mabel could be there, maybe even with Dipper… 

  


The Bunker.

  


It’d have to work.

  


Maybe… Maybe with some runes, wards, and restrictions, he could keep this demon trapped. 

  


Keep his family  _ safe. _

  


He wouldn't fall for more tricks, not after last time,  _ this  _ time, technically speaking. 

  


And...and even  _ if _ the current bundle of demonic traits in his arms  _ was  _ his nephew...

  


Dipper… w-well he’d… he wouldn't mind. 

  


He’d understand Ford and forgive him for a few night's of inconvenience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are welcome uwu  
> the kitten description either came from the show or the pinescone fics ive read, take your pick


	4. A Candle is Lit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel takes things into her own hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aha wrote this at midnight funzies

Despite Mabel’s wishes (and cries), Stan wearily dragged her home, enduring her endless protests.

_ “Let me  _ go _!  _ Stan!”

_ “We have to find him!” _

_ “He’ll be  _ alone _! Out  _ there _!” _

_ “What if he gets hurt?!” _

_ “Stan!” _

_ “Please!” _

_ “ _ Please _!” _

“Please, Mabel… sweety, eat”

Her Grunkle gently tucked the hair covering her face behind her ear with his thumb, lovingly.  _ Motherly.  _ Like a mother bear. Heh. That’d be fun to draw. Bear Stan. Rawr.. Heh… 

Stan let out a breath of air and sighed, ”Mabel, hon, look at me”, Stan turned her chin up, making the little girl face him.

He looked so old, so wearied, more than he had a right to. Stan wasn't supposed to be  _ worried _ or  _ gentle,  _ he was meant to be  _ gruff _ a-and-

“ _ Mabel. _ Calm down,” she hadn’t noticed her small hands, underneath her sweater, digging into her arms, causing slight bleeding, “I-I know your scared,  _ terrified _ and worried outta your wits, and I  _ know _ you wanna go out and try to find him ‘till he’s safe home,” Stan’s eyes started to flick around the room as he sighed, “but you need to remember not to break yourself while your at it, that's not gonna help anyone. Dipper wouldn't want you to stop taking care of yourself, so please. Eat.”

He held up the spoon of soggy cereal up to her mouth, hopeful, and with a slight smile on his face that shone in his eyes.

She didn't so much as look at him in return. 

He set the spoon down once more, closing his eyes and letting out a sad breath, ”ok,” he grabbed the bowl, resigned, "at least get some sleep, ey? We’ll go hunt down the kid tomorrow, Soos and Wendy promised to help out too, least there's that.”

The preteen watched as he left the TV room, moving only her eyes, dully. 

After a few moments of restrained shaking, Mabel hesitantly took her legs out of her sweater and made an immediate dive for the attic, trying to stop the sporadic crying that was creeping on her. She jumped onto Dipper's bed, albeit hesitantly, and started to bury her head into his pillow, failing to muffle out the continuous sobs that wracked her body. The child’s body curled in on itself slightly as she hugged the pillow for all its worth. 

She felt so  _ incredibly  _ destroyed, a-and tired, and  _ stressed _ , all at once. H-Her head hurt… like it was being split in half. She needed water. She hadn’t had a clean glass since before this whole situation. Her limbs were tired. Her brain was extremely exhausted, in fact. Why couldn't she fall asleep? She just wanted to hide, to forget, to find  _ him- _

She poked a red eye from behind his pillow, and eyed the bag laying limply next to the doorway.

_ Her party bag. _

She jumped out of the bed, tripping on the messy bed sheets and crawling towards the bag, heartily dumping out the contents. She left the bag, empty, on the floor as she hastily rummaged through the drawers, looking for a flashlight. She grabbed Dipper's blanket and some bandaids from the bathroom and stuffed them into the bag, actually folding the blanket after a couple failed attempts. She buttoned the backpack and looked at the leftover mess of her rush. A blur of color pencils, paper, streamers… some party chocolate. 

She grabbed a bar of king sized chocolate and stuffed it in the same place as her grappling hook, slinging the bag over her shoulder. Stan was probably in the TV room and she didn't want to be caught and stopped. Looking around the room, the window caught her eye. The girl made her way to the triangular window, and taking in a deep breath, she opened it. She clumsily climbed out the window, carefully climbing up onto the roof spot.

“Ok… so how am I getting down... ?” she mumbled to herself as she sat down.

She could use jump down maybe? She’d take too much damage, probably. Didn't Wendy use a tree to get down? Mabel would probably be too small and light to do it properly… the girl shifted from her seat, her grappling hook poking-

Her grappling hook!

_ Oh Mabel! You wonderful genius! _

She took her grappling hook out and launched the hook to one of the branches of the nearby trees, waiting for the retraction to take her towards one of the branches. Once she was a yard or so away from the branch she pressed a button and let the rope settle her down on the grass of the dark forest. 

It was almost impossible to make out anything. The forest gave off the sounds of crickets and owls, and yet managed to feel so silent.

_ Empty _

Ignoring the chill that went down her spine, Mabel fetched the flashlight from her bag and turned it on, illuminating the haunting forest. It was never this… intimidating before, was it because it was dark? Probably. Shrugging it off, and grabbing a bit from her chocolate, the young girl went off into the forest, holding a burning candle of hope she wished never burned out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are chill uwu


	5. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ford gets to the Bunker and Dipper is confused

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting yesterday ahah I write late at night and the night before yesterday a meteor shower was supposed to happen so I focused mostly on thatttt im hoping everything is consistent and chill skrrt skrrt

Ford had rushed to the bunker as fast as he could, wracking his brain for the location of the metal tree. Once upon a time, Ford could locate it with his eyes closed, you couldn't just forget that kind of location. It was probably that practice from his earlier years that allowed him to relocate it thirty years later.

After some trial and error, Ford,  _ at last _ , managed to find the metal tree. It was recognizable as the paint that had been talentedly painted onto it was chipping, revealing the metallic structure beneath it. He was lucky Fiddleford had suggested putting it a good distance away from the Shack, Ford at the time hadn’t seen a point to it as his cabin had been built in the middle of the forest for a reason. Now, with Stan’s choice of career, the grayed man could appreciate his assistants' foresight. 

Setting the demon down gently on the grass next to one of the nearby bushes, Ford looked around, reaching for a rigid rock roughly the size of his fist. With a trained accuracy, he threw the rock at a singular, lone branch, knocking the aged thing at an ungodly angle.

Waiting for the passageway to open up, Ford went to pick up the snoring creature once more, descending down the old and decaying wooden stairs, breathing in the old, musty air that collected down in the underground. 

It was surreal, being back down there after so many years. The room had long grown covered in rust, a far cry from the pristine shine Ford had always attempted to keep. Everything looked incredibly dusty and-

Why did it look as though someone peeled off a poster over on the wall?

No matter, he just needed to get past the security trap now and take care of… the… 

… It would’ve been the inevitable, he’d have to deal with…. Shifty at some point or another… 

Wait, no, didn't Dipper mention freezing him in the cryotubes?

Just in case, Ford shifted the body in his arms, causing a yawn reminiscent of a mewl to fall from the small body, and grabbed the gun, holding the body in one arm and the gun in another.

Worst come to worst, he could drop the body and shoot the shapeshifter before he even realized what happened. 

Heading behind the big drawers of rations, he clicked the small, red button with the head of his gun, immediately deactivating the security trap and causing the circular door to open quite abrasively, ripping the map covering it off the wall. 

Eh, he could fix that later.

* * *

The first thing Dipper could recognize waking up was the cold, hard floor beneath him. 

He couldn't help but feel weirdly stiff, but he mentally shrugged it off, thinking it was just because of his odd sleeping placement. Speaking of which...why  _ was  _ he laying on the floor of the…  _ Bunker… _ ? Dipper wearily forced his chin onto the arm he was resting his head on and wearily looked around, eyes half lidded. Yup… definitely the Bunker. Odd… just odd. It smelled just as unappealing as it did weeks earlier. Musty and damp. Not exactly his preference. 

Man, it felt just as eerie here as it did last time, the weird and old grays, dirt walls, humidity, the smell of herbs, the white chalk-

… White chalk? Herbs? That was peculiar, especially because of the various patterns they were in. The chalk was surrounding his limp body, even beneath him, though the lines didn't smudge even as he shifted himself to get a better look. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he saw the intricacies of the circle that confused him. It looked chaotic and sorta random but it was easy enough to tell everything was planned, and planned well at that. 

It made him feel...odd, unpleasant, like he was being restricted or held captive. It was triggering his paranoia, pulling him shakily up onto his feet, slipping at a point. Trying to get out of the circle had proven futile, as when Dipper tried to find an exit, an invisible wall stopped and knocked the kid to the floor. A flare of pain in his head and wings-

Wings…?

Oh god.

_ Oh God. _

The two things protruding from his back were as black as midnight, being more similar to bat wings than Dipper was comfortable with admitting. He worriedly reached for the wing on his right and… they felt soft, strangely, and as panicked as the boy was about this, frankly, confusing and terrifying development, he let his curiosity get the better of him, as it often does, and experimented. 

He hesitantly stuck the wings out, surprised at how  _ natural  _ they felt. It was as though he had them his whole life, which was cause for concern, of course, but at least he didn't need to learn how to control some new appendages .At the very least, there's that.

Sighing, Dipper got to his feet again, more stable this time around, and prodded the invisible wall that enveloped him. Once his finger touched the barrier, it rippled much like a pond would when disturbed with a rock, just to a lesser magnitude. 

What was he going to do?! What  _ could  _ he do?! 

The inevitable pacing started again.

Something must've happened during Weirdmageddon, how else could he have wings? That just wasn't possible under any  _ normal  _ circumstances, maybe Ford could help fix that? He’s been to dozens of dimensions, surely he’d know of some kind of cure? Yeah… yeah… he would just have to have faith in his uncle for now. 

What even  _ happened  _ during Weirdmageddon? The hazy memories of holding hands and pain coming to the forefront of his mind. They were just vague thoughts and trying to examine them was like grasping at straws! It was incredibly worrying and it only served to unnerve him even more! Someone  _ obviously  _ dropped him off here, and used some sort of rune or ward to restrict him, whoever did it could be a huge threat! They know where the  _ secret  _ Bunker was, they know runes and wards well enough, and they must've wanted  _ something  _ with Dipper-

His breathing was starting to get uneven as he began to hug himself, pausing his pacing. 

If only Mabel was here-

_ Mabel! She must be worried sick!  _

_ OhGodohGodohGodohGodohGodohGodohGodohGod- _

_ Snap out of it, Dipper! Panicking gets you nowhere, c’mon now! _

Inhale. Exhale. Letting go of himself shakily, he tried to take a more logical approach than just thinking of questions he couldn't answer. 

With all the power he could muster with his prepubescent voice, he gave out the loudest yell he could for attention.

“ _ Hello?! _ ”

The only answer he got from the dark cavern was his own voice, echoing off the walls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanksh for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated :ppp


	6. Suns Rising, Lights Dimming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ford and Stan talk. Mabel makes a discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wa waaamp sorry for not posting for a while  
> (Jesus christ thank tooth and aba for the help! Precious they are)

It was dark and late, and if it hadn't been for the flashlight in the emergency supplies, Ford probably couldn’t have gotten home the same night. Franky, Ford was happy enough to get out of there fast… 

Seeing two monsters both taking his nephew's image was something he’d rather see as little as possible.

Going back was something he’d obviously have to do, if just for the demon, of course. Its power was something he'd have to study, if he had it in him, that is. Being involved with Weirdmageddon could wildly vary its power, ranging from a simple three eyed bird to rival Bill himself. With that kind of uncertainty, runes and wards had been a  _ must. _ Keeping the monster in the cryotubes had been tempting, at first, but putting in actual thought into the idea had proven it to just be a lazy and destructive idea. What if the demon had the power to escape? The havoc it could wreck could be catastrophic! So, as tempting as the cryotubes had been, as tempting as it would've been to just leave the whole situation alone and be done with it, keeping it around with wards seemed to be the best option. 

Ford would be eternally grateful towards the Oracle for showing him the wards and runes, maybe one day he’d be able to repay her.

Shaking his head, Ford navigated his way through the forest, looking for the Shack. Tiredly walking through the dense and dark forest with only a flashlight illuminating its light across the forest, Ford found the Shack, his old cabin. It’ll be nice to have the place back when the summer is done. He’d be able to finally relax, he could even maybe try to find Fiddleford again. That’d be pleasant.

Walking to the aged cabin, Ford slowly opened the door to avoid creaking, judging from the sky, his niece is very likely to be asleep already. Hopefully Stanley would just leave him alone or be asleep already so he could just go into the basement and try to find a way to move the demon in there. Come to think of it, things would be easier that way, no Shifty, no going back and forth, and an easier way to keep his eye on the thing. Yes! He’d just set up the lab to be a holding chamber! Or maybe that could be the second level, and the basement could be utilized for experimentation! It’d be empty and unused once he got rid of the portal pieces. Maybe he’d get it to show its true form.

_ Maybe he could get it to show him where his nephew was. _

What a comforting thought.

* * *

Poindexter shoulda been back by now.

It was getting dark, and while Stan knew that Ford could more than take care of himself, he couldn't help but worry, how could he not? 

He could only wish Dipper was with him, that Ford found him and was bringing him home. That Ford was only taking forever because he was helping Dipper from whatever the hell kinda situation the kids always got in. 

He really just hoped Sixer came home with the kid in his arms unharmed.

The whole day was spent lookin for him, Soos and Wendy promised to join in the search tomorrow, wanting to catch up with their families. They deserved the break. 

Everyone had just lived through Hell, even if his family was still going through it.

_ What was he going to tell the kid's family? _

Christ, what was he going to tell them? He’d either have to lie or tell the truth, each option having their own set of repercussions. Lying would mean having to deal with cover stories and what those would bring, telling the truth could go a number of ways, most being bad. What were the chances Mark and Anna would believe him? Maybe if they showed Ford to them, or the basement? Maybe even the forest-y junk would work. 

Stan sighed, looking down into the cup of coffee he was drinking, taking comfort in his yellow chair.

Old, drained eyes stared back.

He swirled the cup around, distorting his image in the brown liquid.

He heard the door open and snapped his head towards the small noise. 

“Ford, ya back already?”

His twin froze, sighing inwardly. “What is it-”

“Why ya home so late, Poindexter?” Stan asked rather briskly.

“Why wouldn't I be late? Dipper’s been  _ missing. _ ”

“We agreed to be home by nine, idiot”

“I know the time we agreed to be home by. I just...I got caught up”

Stan glanced up to his TV, then back to his brother standing by the doorway. 

“Your lucky Mabel’s been too distracted to be worried” He hissed.

Ford could only sigh, “Is that all?”

He had better things to do than bicker with Stan, dammit!

“We’re going looking tomorrow too, Mabel will be with whoever she feels comfortable with,” Giving his brother a defeated, yet accusatory look, he continued, “You can go hide in the basement now”

Ford could only stare incredulously at his former best friend.

* * *

Racing through the woods, flashlight in hands, was Mabel Pines.

She wanted to get as far away from the Shack as possible, what could be even better was going somewhere near where the Fearamid had previously been. 

Where it had all taken place.

Dwelling on it wouldn’t help. Just find the area and start searching again. Find Dipper where he was probably lying cold on the grassy floor and hug him to oblivion. Soon as he woke up she’d drag him home and everything would be better again. Just like it was meant to be.

God  _ knows  _ how much she couldn't wait for that. 

The Fearamid had been over the forest right? A bit away from the town? She didn't need the exact location, just the area. She could just search the area. 

Arriving in what she believed to be the right area, the young girl slowed down, taking time to digest her location. It was odd, being out here so late at night. It was just something she didn't put under her  _ liberal  _ term of the word “safe”. It really wasn't if any of Dipper’s nerd junk was to be true. And looking from her window, in her comfy, warm room, she wouldn't doubt it for a second, despite the forest's obvious beauty. She couldn't deny it was nice out though, the ending Summer leading to chiller Fall made it a sight to envy. The silent ambience disturbed only by the sounds of crickets chirping. It made her both content and uneasy, somehow.

She started to search through the late night and early morning.

She barely noticed as the minutes turned to hours.

Her tired mind unnoticing of the early dawn that those hours delivered to her.

Why would she?

The lone dirty Pine Tree hat sitting on the healthy grass kept distracting her.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope I made you just a little sadd  
> comments and kudos are appreciated :D

**Author's Note:**

> Stay inside and stay safe :)  
> (Could I also get some advice? Im new at writing)


End file.
